Stellantis' new CEO ditches old plans and tries to fix retailer mess

Stellantis just turned five, and it’s already lost almost half its value. The automaker was born from a $52 billion merger between Fiat Chrysler and Groupe PSA in January 2021. It was supposed to be a global powerhouse. Instead, its U.S. shares have dropped 43%. The Italian shares are down 40%.

When it first listed on the New York Stock Exchange on January 19, 2021, things looked good. The stock kept rallying and was up 74% by March 2024. Well, it’s now January 19, 2025, and things are definitely not looking good.

Stellantis’ new CEO ditches old plans and tries to fix retailer mess

Carlos Tavares, the guy who made Stellantis’ merger happen when he was CEO, left suddenly in December 2024 after spending like 3 straight years cutting costs and chasing higher profits, which of course backfired.

Carlos’s aggression was hurting Stellantis products, the workers, the suppliers, and the dealers.

Antonio Filosa took over as CEO on June 23. Since then, he’s been trying to clean it all up. He’s scrapped a bunch of expensive plans. He’s cutting prices. He’s shifting attention away from electric vehicles and trying to fix broken ties with U.S. retailers.

Filosa told reporters at the Detroit Auto Show this week, “The strategy that we have in front of us is a strong one and will lead us to growth if we execute well. So, I believe it’s a year of execution.”

He’s now focused on turning around Jeep and Ram, which have been losing sales in the U.S. for years. He’s also calling in over 200 company executives this month for a meeting. That’ll cover company culture, 2026 goals, and what to announce on capital markets day.

There’s been talk of selling off brands. Even Tavares had said that might be smart. But Filosa pushed back. “I believe the company should stay together,” he said.

At the same time, he didn’t rule out shrinking or refocusing some parts of the business. Fiat and Alfa Romeo aren’t doing well in the U.S., and Filosa hinted that changes are possible there.

Investors still waiting on new plan after Tavares’ exit

Investors still haven’t heard a full plan since Tavares left. He was pushing something called the “Dare Forward 2030” strategy. The goal was 10% profit margins and doubling net revenue. That didn’t happen.

Since Filosa took over, U.S. shares have been up just 2%. The stock closed Friday at $9.60, down 4.2%. He hasn’t blamed Tavares directly but has made it clear the company needs a reset.

Filosa said, “In the six months, I see the changes that we will make we need to make to create the bright future that we need.”

The smartest crypto minds already read our newsletter. Want in? Join them.